Hell on Wheels HSAU
by Mr.HabitsRambles
Summary: Hell on Wheels High school AU. The AU no one asked for or even wanted. It's garbage, but hopefully enjoyable. Chapters change perspective and are pretty dang short.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I do not own Hell on Wheels or any creative rights to the story.

Chapter One:

Principal Durant

"First days are always exciting. People act on their best behavior on first days. Did you ever notice that? No? Mmm. That's what I like most about first days. No one is acting up. Trying to steal the spotlight. Vying for attention. They spend most of the time sizing each other up. I don't have to be Mr. Mean Principal. I can just be welcoming Principal Durant. I'm not known as being a slave driver. Not at all sir. I mean I've had my moments where I had to crack the whip, but generally I like to think of myself as a benevolent caretaker." He paused adjusting his collar and taking seat at the large desk.

"Today marks a special day in my career, Mr. Bohannon. My tenth anniversary as principal of Hellion Wells High School. I've kept this old girl running in good condition this last decade and I intend to do so for many years to come. I don't need anyone throwing a wrench in the works. Do you hear me?" He said rather menacingly.

Bohannon nodded. "I fully intend on fulfilling my obligations to this school and assisting you in any way that you so choose."

"Now THAT'S what I like to hear!" Durant shouted emphatically. "You seem like my kinda man, Mr. Bohannon. I think we'll get along just fine. Now if you don't mind, I have some important preparations to make before making my rounds. If you have any concerns, any at all, I know Mr. Gunderson will be happy to help. Now you'll find him just across the hall from your own room."

"Thank you, sir. But uh- what exactly would that room number be again?"

"Right!" Durant said raising a finger in the air.

He opened a drawer and rummaged around for a minute or so before pulling out a crisp piece of paper. "Ahh. Bohannon. Yes. You are in room 14. That would be in the older section of the school. Yes. This is yours. Do with it as you please. It is a map of the school with all of the teachers and their respective rooms listed." Durant said pointing out different sections on the paper.

"Thanks," Bohannon said as Durant tossed it at him.

"Now if that is all, I really must begin my preparations. It was truly a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Bohannon. I look forward to you working with us." Durant stood up and reached a hand across the desk.

Mr. Bohannon stood, shook his hand firmly, and added, "I am grateful for the opportunity."

Durant smiled politely and gestured towards the door. Mr. Bohannon nodded respectfully and made his way out. Durant sat back in his chair and smirked to himself. _Boy, does he have his work cut out for him._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Elam Ferguson

Five minutes until first period starts, Elam walks into class and sits next to his best friend Sam, who usually goes by Psalms. It's not long before the new teacher strolls in and cuts off their conversation.

"As you all have probably heard, I am your new History teacher, Mr. Bohannon. Now I know all of y'all think that because this is my first year here, I'm gonna be giving you a lot of slack. Well I believe in a No-Nonsense work environment. You may be unclear as to what I mean by that. Well if you're fixin to do something and have to question whether it's nonsense: it's nonsense. I wouldn't say I'm particularly liberal when it comes to doling out punishments, but I don't like to be tested. So as long as that's clear, I'd like to start going over the syllabus…"

Bohannon methodically went over the syllabus. Elam turned to Psalms and rolled his eyes. Psalms pretended to stifle a very obvious fake yawn.

* * *

"So what'd you think of that new teacher?" Psalms asked, passing Elam the ball.

Elam dribbled a bit, dodged Psalms, and turned to make a shot, "Bohannon?"

"Yeah, I thought he was aight. Quite a bit better'n old creepy crawly."

"Centipede Swede. Man I almost forgot I have class with him tomorrow. Why'd you have to go remindin' me? It was like bein' in a dream." Elam said in a mockingly serene voice.

"You about to wake up and smell the roses, an' everything else in that garden. Including ol' stinkbug." Psalms joked.

"Don't act like you ain't gonna be right there with me!" Elam said as Psalms stole the ball.

"Alright boys, Gimme 10 suicides!" shouted Coach Cole.

The boys dropped the ball and started running. Principal Durant came in from the north entrance and stopped to sit down by Coach Cole. They talked for a minute or two and then Durant got up and left. After the boys finished their runs, Cole made an announcement, "Boys, Principal Durant has just told me about some new rules being set down. Starting this year no one who achieves lower than a C in any class will be allowed to participate in sports. Hopefully this will encourage some of you to take action in the classroom and on the court."

"You think you can do that?" Psalms muttered without looking away from Cole.

"We about to find out." Elam said slow and determined.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Lily Bell

"What is he like? Will his class be hard? How much will be about Geography?" Lily asked Ruth anxiously.

"Nothing is too hard for you Lily. You'll ace it no problem. That's why you're in the AP section. And relax, you'll find all that out in just a little bit. You have his class in literally 6 minutes." Ruth reassured her.

"I guess." Lily said disappointed that she couldn't get more out of her friend. "I just like going in with certain expectations."

"I know you do. Here's where I head off. Say hi to Joseph for me." Ruth called over her shoulder as she rounded the corner and headed out of sight.

Lily let out a heavy sigh and entered the classroom 14. Mr. Bohannon was the only other person in the room. He looked up from the book he was reading to glance at Lily. She was not accustomed to having such a young teacher. Nor was she used to having teachers with hair that looked so unkempt. Something about his messy graying hair made him seem somewhat endearing. The wild glare he was giving her had the opposite effect. "I'm sure you can stare at me from your seat just as well as from the doorway. You might let in other rubber-neckers if you move though." He chuckled.

Lily ducked her head and took her seat as other students started filing in. Joseph sat on her right and began talking excitedly to her, but she was too embarrassed to pay much attention.

After class she met back up with Ruth and had to turn down her invitation to Bible study. Her excuse was work. Lily actually did have to work, but she would have made up an excuse even if that wasn't the case.

Lily quite enjoyed her job at the public library. Not many people came in after 3 p.m. so she spent most of her time pouring over old maps and reading up on Native American culture. It was a habit bordering on obsession, but she reasoned that learning "too much" wasn't really a problem. She was so lost in a copy of _Gods and Generals_ that she didn't notice someone standing on the other side of the counter. "Good book. Read it a couple of times myself." Mr Bohannon said casually.

Lily jumped a little in surprise. "Now you know how it feels." He chuckled. "Nah I'm just kiddin'. But I would like to check this out, if you're not too busy." He said putting a copy of _The Killer Angels: A Novel of the Civil War_ on the counter in between them.

"Of course. I've read this before. It's actually one of the first books that got me interested in the Civil War in the first place." Lily smiled and scanned the book.

"No Shit!" He paused, "Oh Sorry, I don't think I'm Allowed to say that in front of students"

"It's fine." Lily giggled.

"No, but I meant to say that this is actually one of my favorites and I'm fixin' to make it a required reading this semester. Now it's been a long time since I read it and I'm still new to this teachin' gig, do you think it's okay for me to assign this?"

"Hmmm. I think it should be fine. I liked it, but it's hard to get students to do anything without complaining. Mr. Durant shouldn't have a problem with it and I think the advanced class will actually enjoy it."

"You think?" Bohannon asked.

"Yes of course! And if you want other books, I'd recommend _Battle Cry of Freedom_ or _The Red Badge of Courage_."

"Now wait, who's the history teacher here? No, but you really know your stuff. It's going to be pretty refreshin' havin' at least one person who knows the difference between the revolutionary and civil war."

"You've got to be joking." she said dumbstruck at the idea.

"I may be a greenhorn, but this ain't my first school. At the last place I taught one particularly ignorant child turned in a paper titled _Colonel Mustard's Last Stand_. Didn't even read it, threw it right in the trash where it belonged."

"No, please." she managed to say between laughs. "Please. That can't be true. No one's that stupid."

"Believe me, Sweetheart, I wish it wasn't."

"Do you want to see our library's map collection? I've recently developed a special coding system just for them." Lily asked eager to share her interests with a kindred spirit.

"Why little lady, Nothin' would make me happier." he replied.

She spent the next several hours showing him all of the maps the library owned, even ones that had nothing to do with her particular niche in history. She found his presence refreshing too. None of her friends ever listened to her excited ramblings for more than a couples minutes, but she had enthusiastically been going over maps with him for over two hours. They didn't spend the whole time going over maps. They took breaks to discuss the historical implications behind different markings on the maps and what contexts or biases may have influenced the cartography. It came as a complete shock to them both when "The library will be closing in ten minutes," blared over the intercom.

"Oh I completely forgot to check out your book!" Lily gasped.

"Not a problem, Miss Bell. If you would wait just a moment, I'd like to check out those other two books you recommended as well." Bohannon added as he turned back toward the literature section.

Lily eyed the clock. She wouldn't have to stay past nine tonight because it was a school night. She might be able to chat with him a little more on the way out. When he returned with the other two books she took her time and finished just as the last call for people to leave the library rang out. "Mind if I walk out with you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not at all." he drawled.

"So what would you say was the most critical point in the civil war? Sorry if I seem too eager. I've just never had a willing conversation partner." She apologized.

"Hmm. As a history teacher, I'd have to say the Battle of Gettysburg would be the most obvious turnin' point, but I have my own suspicions about how the war might have ended if things had turned out different at the battle of Sharpsburg."

"Sharpsburg?"

"Sorry, Old Habit. the Battle of Antietam." He corrected himself.

They reached the parking lot where he placed his books in the back compartment of a motor cycle, to Lily's surprise. Bohannon noticed. "Oh yeah. They don't much like it when teachers ride in like that. Not supposed to take this thing to school. Didn't know I'd be runnin' into you tonight though."

Lily nodded, trying to seem nonchalant, though obviously taken aback. "I would say don't forget about your readin' due Wednesday, but I doubt that's something still on your to-do list. Take care." He said as he started up the bike.

She watched him ride off down the street and out of sight. It was unnerving knowing the parts of a teacher's life you don't learn in class. Unnerving, but a little exciting. Lily relished the idea that she might have a new friend with similar interests, but felt uneasy that he was her teacher. _This is okay, right?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Ruth

It didn't really bother Ruth that Lily never accepted her invitations to Bible Study. She knew Lily treasured their friendship and would never intentionally do anything to hurt her. She just wished that she could get Lily as excited about the Lord as she was about all her ancient maps. At least Ruth had Joseph for that.

Joseph had been through a lot with Ruth. He was one of her best friends and if she had to be completely honest with herself, she felt a little more than friendship towards him. She'd tried acting on her feelings before, but either he didn't pick up on it or she backed down in what she rationalized was an effort to preserve their friendship. _If it was meant to be, the Lord would help make it a reality_ , she often thought.

Joseph was there at Bible Study. He was actually the only one there. None of the other regulars had shown up. Ruth stood in the doorway and looked at Joseph who gave her a shrug and a defeated smile. "Since it's just the two of us, we could really do Bible Study anywhere." he suggested.

"We could hang out at my place. I just went grocery shopping so the kitchen is fully stocked. You like Ruffles right?" Ruth commented playfully.

"Sounds good to me."

They left the church and started walking to Ruth's house. She tried not to think about how the two of them were alone, but something had gotten her all worked up and she couldn't think of anything else. They had been walking in silence. Ruth felt a little uncomfortable. Joseph showed no signs of unease, but she still felt like she should break the silence. She was about to ask him if he had any ideas for next year's vacation bible school when they rounded a corner and she saw _her_.

Eva stood on the curb thirty feet in front of them, bent over talking to the driver of a car parked in the street through the passenger window. She must have heard them approach because she looked up and locked eyes with Ruth. The very sight of her enraged Ruth. She liked to remain civil in class, but something about her demeanor tonight just set her off. Her loose black midriff rustled in the summer breeze, and her hair batted at her face. _That stupid smirk_. The anxiousness she felt around Joseph was nowhere near the feelings that came bursting to the surface when she saw Eva. "You got a problem with me, church girl?"

 _Church Girl?!_ "No. I'd rather not start any problems or engage in any other unsavory activities." Ruth sneered looking Eva up and down and then turning her attention to the parked car.

"Not even if you really wanted to? I know Joe wouldn't mind some unsavory activity. But it doesn't look like he brought a crowbar with him to pry those pretty little legs apart." Eva challenged.

Ruth was about to retort with something especially unbecoming of a preacher's daughter, but Joseph stopped her. "It'll only make things worse." he whispered.

He was right. Ruth gathered her calm and looked up to see Elam had gotten out of the car and was talking to Eva. She circled in front of the car, got in the driver's seat, and drove off with Elam next to her. _Why is she still able to get a rise out of me? The Lord is going to have to help me through this one._


	5. Chapter 5

_It's only the beginning of the year and I'm already so done with school. That new history teacher seems pretty alright though._

Eva had been walking home from school after she missed the bus and couldn't get ahold of her parents. She didn't blame them, but she wasn't happy about the long walk either. She wished she had a car like...like...Elam! Just down the street she recognized her classmate peering under the hood of an old volvo station wagon. Smoke was rising from some unseen compartment and Elam looked a little frazzled. She called out to him and he whipped around to look at her. His face quickly took on a collected expression that probably reflected the opposite of how he was actually feeling.

"What are you doin' out so late?" He called as she approached.

"Just havin' a walk. i would ask what you were doin', but it seems pretty obvious."

"Not that obvious or I woulda figured it out by now."

"You started strippin' a gear. An not even that bad. Got any oil?" she asked.

Elam shook his head. "Well check anyways, sometimes owners hide that stuff an leave it behind when they sell the car." Eva ordered.

Elam gave her a wary look. She could tell that he didn't like being bossed around, but he started looking around the driver's seat anyways.

"Pop the trunk!" Eva yelled from the back.

"There's nothin' in there." he called over his shoulder as the the trunk lid lifted.

"Nothin' but a bunch a sweaty basketball shit." she muttered sifting through Elam's things.

She closed the trunk and circled around to talk to Elam through the passenger window. "Ya know gears don't get stripped like that from experienced driver's. You know how to drive a stick?" she asked

"I'm workin' on it. Pop said this was a reliable car. Plus it was one of the only ones I could afford. Can't be that hard to learn." he said defensively.

"Your Dad's right. This is a pretty good car. Once you get the hang of drivin' it you shoudn't have many problems in the way of repairs. Scoot out I'll give you your first lesson."

Elam eyed her suspiciously, but before he could get out Eva snapped up and looked down the street.

That jealous little goody, Ruth was staring her down from thirty feet down the street, with sweet Joseph in toe. "You got a problem with me church girl?" Eva called out with as much malice as she could muster.

She still wasn't over how bad things had ended between them.

"No I'd rather not start any problems or engage in any other unsavory activities."Ruth said judgementally while casting a glance towards Elam.

 _So that's what she thinks is going on._

"Not even if you really wanted to? I know Joe wouldn't mind some unsavory activity. But it doesn't look like he brought a crowbar with him to pry those pretty little legs apart."

 _That might have been too much._

Joseph grabbed Ruth's arm before she started to rip into Eva with the telling off she knew she deserved. She could feel her skin getting hot and her heart pounding in her ears.

 _How does she always get me so angry?_

She was so engrossed in heckling Ruth that she hadn't noticed Elam get out of the car and walk up beside her. "You don't really wanna get into this do ya? You can fight with Bible Beth some other time. C'mon let's go." he whispered.

"You're right. She's not worth my time." she spat as she got in the driver's seat.

As soon as Elam had shut the door she tore of down the road.

She was so angry that she hadn't really realized where she was going at first. "Take a left here." Elam said softly.

She turned. "So what'd church lady do to make you explode like that?" Elam asked.

"It's a long story and this is a short drive." she replied curtly.

She rounded another corner then parked the car. "How you know where I live?" Elam asked sounding exasperated.

"Because I live there." She said pointing to the apartment building one block over. "We used to ride the same bus, but you always got off before me."

She climbed out and leaned down to say, "You're first lesson starts tomorrow at seven." before turning away and walking down the road.

 _Hanging out with Elam will be fun. Having a new friend will be fun._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Durant

"Mr. Durant, I'm afraid I come bearing some bad news." Rev. Cole said hoarsely from the doorway to Durant's office.

"What's with all the dramatics Cole? What could possibly make you look so miserable on a fine day such as this?" Durant asked looking up from his schedule book.

"I'm sad to say that I can no longer coach the young men's basketball team. My flock needs my attention now more than ever. The church hasn't been doing well and the committee is planning a new outreach program that we think will bring new life into our lord's sacred establishment."

"Oh...Cole. Cole. It can't be so bad that you'd… abandon your passion for coaching basketball. Those young men need a strong leader, a backbone if you will. Their efforts, it would be a damn shame-"

Rev. Cole shot Durant a look. "My apologies Reverend. All I'm saying is, we would be remiss without you." Durant finished.

"Well that's mighty kind of you to say Durant, but my efforts are needed elsewhere. It's been a pleasure working here. I know our paths will cross again. If you need me, you know where to find me. And know that there will always be a seat open for you should you decide to come worship with us." Reverend Cole added as he started heading back towards the door.

"An endearing offer Reverend."

"The lord has a plan for you. He has a plan for us all. I'll keep you in my prayers Mr. Durant. God Bless." The reverend waved a hand, turned back towards the door, and left.

As soon as Durant heard the door to the outer office shut his frustration bubbled over and he slammed his fist on the desk. "Damn!"

He brought his hand up to his temple to try to clear his mind. "How could he do this? We've never been so close to the state championship! Of all the times!? He chooses now?! That- That-"

"This a bad time?" Bohannon asked from the doorway.

Durant looked up at Bohannon and a wry smile crept onto his face. "It's not that important. I'll be by later." Bohannon said as he knocked once on the door frame and started to leave.

"No! Of course not! This is a marvelous time! In fact, I was hoping I could speak with you about a new opportunity."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Mr. Bohannon

Durant pulled Mr. Bohannon out of the hallway and back into his office. "Mr. Bohannon my good sir, it is no secret that you have become a favorite amongst the students of-"

"I've become what?" Bohannon interrupted.

"My good man. You have risen, quite quickly, to the top. You've won their approval and now it's time to win the championship." Durant continued.

"Sir, I'm gonna need a little more of an explanation."

"That you would. The state basketball championship is almost upon us and Hellion Wells finds itself without a coach. Rev. Cole resigned his position this morning. But as fate would have it, I've already decided on who should succeed him." Durant said with a knowing glance.

"Sir-"

"Please. Call me Thomas." Durant interrupted.

"Mr. Durant. I don't know the first thing about coaching. I'm afraid you've picked the wrong man for the job." Bohannon said matter-of-factly.

"Tell me Bohannon. A sturdy and strong minded man like yourself has surely played basketball a few time."

"A little," Bohannon nodded.

"And you've definitely built the necessary report with your students to effectively lead them in the right direction." Durant mused.

"A classroom and a court are two different things, Sir."

"Nonsense!" Durant stated.

Mr. Bohannon was about to protest, but Durant cut him short once again. "And of course the additional work would be accompanied by additional pay."

"How much we talkin'?" Bohannon asked somewhat interested.

"A fair amount. We can discuss details later. Just say the word. Are you the man for the job?" Durant turned to face him squarely.

Bohannon looked down at his hands for a moment, then back up at Durant. "I could give it a shot." He said with a doubtful smile.

Durant stood up and stuck out a hand, "I knew, from the moment I met you, that you were a man of many skills."

"We'll see about that." Bohannon said as he shook his hand.

Durant had set up a meeting with Bohannon and Rev. Cole to discuss the transition later in the week. Bohannon was walking back to his classroom when he realized he never got the chance to ask Durant what he had come to talk to him about in the first place. Bohannon shook his head and turned around, knocking straight into Mr. Gunderson who had been walking right behind him. "Sorry about that." Mr. Bohannon said while recovering his footing.

"Not a problem." Mr. Gunderson said in his heavy Scandinavian accent. "It take a while to get accustomed to this school. No?"

"Yeah." Bohannon chuckled.

"You'll make it no doubt. Popular Mr. Bohannon. Mhmm." Mr. Gunderson said with a hint of spite, then continued walking down the hallway towards his room with awkward stiffness.

Not wanting to forget again, Bohannon walked quickly back to Durant's office to ask him whether or not it was absolutely necessary for him to chaperone the upcoming field trip he'd been told about.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Elam

Mr. Bohannon strolled out onto the court and called the team over to the far end of the gym. Elam caught the ball Psalms tossed at him and gave Psalms a cautious look. "Don't tell me."

"I'm not gonna, but he sure about to" Psalms said mockingly.

"Some y'all heard bout Coach Cole, steppin' down. Well.. As fate would have it. I found myself in the position of coachin y'all." Bohannon said half-heartedly. "Don't make this harder than it has to be." he added with a sigh.

"Some coach." Psalms muttered. "The tournament it practically in our pocket."

"Run your laps, er whatever it is y'all do." Bahannon said with a wave and then walked off the court.

"You heard the man! Ten laps, then suicides! Move on!" Elam shouted at the team.

"Yessir!" Psalms said saluting Elam with a smirk.

The team completed their warm ups and then Elam divided them for shirts and skins. Elam usually took on the role of leader when Cole wasn't feeling like investing a lot of time in motivating them, but with Bohannon taking the reins he felt like he might have to lead a lot more.

"So you're the team captain then huh?" Bohannon walked over and sat next to Elam as he was locking up the equipment closet after practice.

"Guess you could call me that. But the guys usually just call me Elam."

"You're a lot better at leading the team than I am." Bohannon said rubbing the back of his neck. "Never was very good at this sort of thing."

"Have to actually try before you know if you're good at somthin" Elam said turning to look at Bohannon. "Why are you doin this? If you don't wanna be here, then go. We can handle ourselves."

"Durant asked me. ANd if I'm not mistaken, you need a teacher present for after school activities." Bohannon said seeming unshaken by Elam's comment.

"Well I'M askin you to leave. You even know how to play?"

"You tell me." Bohannon stood up, took his jacket off, and rolled up his sleeves.

Elam didn't expect Bohannon to be so up front. He also didn't expect him to look so at home on the court. He was still angry that their team was being passed around like an unwanted child, but he was warming up to the idea of getting to work with a teacher that was willing to go up against him. He eyes were drawn to Bohannon's exposed arms. Hard muscle flexed under his tanned skin. He had the arms of someone who wasn't afraid to get down in the dirt and work. Elam set the keys down and stepped onto the court opposite Bohannon. "Hope you know what you're doin old man. Hate to have to get another coah so soon."

Bohannon chuckled and jumped right into the game. He was a lot faster than Elam had thought. He could really hold his own on the court. If he hadn't been so tired from practice he'd have taken him easily, but it was more of a challenge making himself keep up when his body was already tired. But he wouldn't let on that he was winded. Not after he'd goaded scored twice before Bohannon scored his first. Bohannon scored again and again. Elam didn't want to lose the upper hand and threw himself into it even more. He knew his muscles would hate him in the morning, but he needed to prove himself and he pushed through. "Had enough yet?" he said between breaths.

Bohannon snathched the ball away from Elam and tossed it effortlessly into the net. "I'd ask you the same, but you don't strike me as a quitter."

Elam grunted and pulled his shirt off. Bohannon did the same. He could see the sweat glistening on his bare chest. He felt his own chest grow tight, but blamed it on his tired muscles. His heart beat a little faster, but he barely noticed. They picked up the game again. Elam never felt awkward when he played shirts and skins with his teammates, but he became painfully aware of how close he was to Bohannon while he guarded him. He felt his face get hot when he pressed his chest into his back. Bohannon seemed unphased. He scored again and again. "Not so bad for an old timer huh?"

Elam stared at the ground feigning indignation. He pulled back in the last half of the game. He didn't know why he was feeling so flustered and didn't want to analyze it too much. He just wanted the game to be over. "You alright." Elam looked up, "But that ain't the same lazy ass that played on his phone when we was all runnin suicides. Bring that hussle to next practice and we won't be havin any more problems"

Bohannon raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You got yourself a deal."

Elam bolted to his car at the first opportunity that presented itself. He took a few deep breaths and tried to clear his head. _What is happening to me?_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ruth

Ruth was reading in the library when Lily rushed excitedly over to her. "Are you going on the field trip?" Lily asked.

Ruth put down her book and looked up at her friend who was practically beaming. "Um I'm not sure yet. I have a few things that I thought I'd do next weekend-"

"No please it will be so much fun! I won't go without you."

"I thought that you had something that weekend too." Ruth said racking her brain.

Lily stopped for a moment and thought. She shrugged. "Must not be very important because I can't remember it."

"No I know you do. It's...um...the SAT practice exam! I remember you scheduled to take yours a week before I scheduled to take mine."

"Oh…" Lily's face dropped. "You're right."

"You could always reschedule it." Ruth added hopefully.

"No it's passed the deadline to get a refund. I'd have to pay again."

"Well the practice test is the day before we leave. Couldn't you drive up the next day?"

"My parents probably won't let me borrow the car for that long. It's ok though. We can just plan to go just the two of us some other time."

"No Lily. I don't want you to be sad. I'm sorry I did not mean to ruin your mood." Ruth reached out and put a hand on Lily's shoulder.

Lily rached up and touched her hand and forced a smile on her face. "It's alright. This test is much more important in the long run. Speaking of, I should probably study some more before it jumps on me. Thanks for the reminder Ruth."

Lily stood up and grabbed her things. "I'll see you in History later."

Ruth waved as she walked away and turned back to her book. She felt bad for bringing Lily down like that. But she convinced herself that it is better than if she had not known and missed the test. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty though. Her nagging conscience and the loud talking coming from another table in the library buzzing in the back of her mind kept her from concentrating on anything. Her patience snapped and she turned to see who was ignoring the first rule of being in the library so flagrantly.

It was Eva. Luckily she didn't see Ruth turn to look at her. Ruth buried her nose in her book, but couldn't help overhear what Eva was talking about with Elam.

"I'm going and I think you should go too." Ruth heard Elam say.

"I'd love to hun, but I don't have the funds." Eva said.

"Ain't your parents got money?"

"Like they would spend it on something so useless as their daughter."

"Don't be like that."

"Either way I can't go"

"What if I helped you pay?"

"And owe you? No thanks."

"You wouldn't owe me I c-"

"I said no thanks. Anyways I got other plans that weekend."

"Yeah with who? Should I be jealous?"

"A girl can have her secrets. And you should always be worried when you see me smile." She said teasingly and flashing a wide grin.

Elam laughed and grabbed her arm as she got up to leave, pulling her into his lap. She laughed and kissed him. Ruth thought it was almost sweet despite herself. Eva laughed again and then looked up locking eyes with Ruth who had subtly turned to peak at the discretely. Eva's face fell and she got to her feet. Ruth turned back around and shoved her book in her bag.

"What did you think you were looking at church mouse?"

"I didn't...I was just…"

"You was just leaving." she said with as much venom as Ruth had ever heard in her voice.

Ruth got up and left the library as fast as she could without breaking into a sprint. _I bet she'd enjoy going to the beach with the rest of the class though._


End file.
